Handicapping the Heisman
Dating back to the year 2000, 19 of the 23 players that have won the Heisman Trophy were quarterbacks. That’s impossible to ignore when betting on this market. USC quarterback Caleb Williams won the award last year.
Williams is a heavy favorite to win the Heisman in back-to-back years, as the Trojans superstar is listed at +600 to get the job done. The next closest players are Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. In fact, the first 11 players listed in the Heisman Trophy market this year are quarterbacks. That should give you an idea of how hard it is to win if you’re not throwing passes.
It does, however, need to be noted that it’s not impossible for a skill position player to win. This isn’t quite like the NFL MVP race, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who now catches passes for the Philadelphia Eagles, gave wide receivers and running backs hope by taking home the award with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2020. That season, Smith caught 117 passes for 1,857 yards and 23 touchdowns, pacing an Alabama team that won the College Football Playoff.
With that out of the way, let’s run through some of the best betting options. I’d personally suggest prioritizing elite quarterbacks as your biggest Heisman bets. But I’ll also give you some non-quarterback options I like, as well as some dark horses that could pay off in a big way.